BURMA EARTHQUAKE

Taranaki Daily News, 12 May 1930, Page 7

BURMA EARTHQUAKE

.A RARE- EXPERIENCE,

BUILDINGS IN RANGOON.. “Earthquakes are almost unknown in Burma,” said Mr. W. E. Armstrong, the architect for the new Art Gallery in Christchurch, who spent • some months in Rangoon before going to Christchurch, when referring to the earthquake reported from Burma. Earthquakes were so rare that not much provision was made against them. By far the greater number of buildings in Rangoon were office and business premises erected by native’ labour to native designs.' Naturally, many of them were built before the use of steel, j Most ofAthe older buildings, which would be about 40 years old, would crash without much provocation. These \yere constructed of brick and plaster. In recent years the standard of building construction had risen, arid the building by-laws were as strict as in most parts of the world. The High Court, which was damaged, was betweein 30 and. 40 years old. It was a brick building, and Mr. Armstrong said he thought there was not much steel construction in it. The Roman Catholic Cathedral was a fine building from an architectural point of view. It was built almost entirely of brick. It was designed by the priests, who in Burma were largely French, and was built about 40 years ago. What probably reduced the effect of the earthquake in Rangoon was the fact that it was built on a delta of silt. Had it been on a rock foundation Air. Aimstrong thought it would have felt the full effect of the shock, and would have experienced a great deal more disturbance. The city has a population of between 330,000 and 340,000, mostly Burmese, Indians and Chinese.